Car frames were designed with people inside them in mind. But that wasn’t always the case.
Early cars were built to be as strong as possible. Because the logic at the time followed that… strong = safe.
Wrong.
Instead of absorbing impact, all that rigidity pushed crash energy directly into the passengers. Cars were fine after accidents. Humans weren’t.
Luckily things have changed for the better.
Cars are now designed to protect people inside from high-speed impacts. And advancements in car frame safety have greatly reduced pedestrian accident injury and fatality rates nationwide.
But there’s always room for improvement. Based on latest NHTSA estimates, 39,345 people died as a result of crashes in 2024. If you’ve been involved in a serious accident, having experienced Tampa car accident lawyers on your side can ensure your rights are protected while you recover from your injuries.
While there is still work to do, technology is saving thousands of lives each year.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why Old Car Frames Were So Dangerous
- How Crumple Zones Changed The Game
- High-Strength Steel + Safety Cells
- Modern Technology That Protects People
- Implications for Pedestrian Accident Safety
Why Old Car Frames Were So Dangerous
Prior to the late 1950s, vehicle frames were designed to be as stiff as possible.
Thought logic at the time dictated that the stronger the frame, the safer the passengers inside.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
When two vehicles collide at high speeds, or when a car hits something immovable like a tree or bridge support, all that energy has nowhere to go except into the cabin.
Older cars weren’t designed to move when hit. They were supposed to stay upright and strong. Humans aren’t cars. Humans move when hit.
Crash forces throw the human body around like it’s a ragdoll. And when there’s nothing to stop it (say… a crumbling car frame), people get seriously injured… or killed.
How Crumple Zones Changed The Game
Things started to improve in 1937.
Bela Barenyi, an Austrian engineer working for Mercedes-Benz, patented the idea of including crumple zones in every car.
Essentially, he discovered that by engineering specific areas of the frame to crush on impact, cars could absorb more crash energy.
Crumple zones are now located at the front and rear of all vehicles. They deform during a collision. By crushing inward, they absorb energy so it doesn’t transfer to the passenger compartment.
Slowing deceleration also reduces the force acting on passengers. Which means less severe injuries.
Safety zones became standard with the introduction of safety ratings in the late 1970s.
High-Strength Steel + Safety Cells
Fast forward a few decades.
Engineering teams discovered they could create a strong safety cell around occupants using high-strength steel and advanced safety engineering.
Cars have a soft outside and hard interior.
When a vehicle collides with something, the front and rear parts of the frame are designed to crumple. This absorbs some crash energy.
But the passenger cabin doesn’t give way on impact. Made of ultra-rigid steel, the safety cell keeps passengers inside a crush-proof shell.
Pillars, door beams and floor pans are reinforced with high-strength steel to evenly distribute crash energy across the frame.
Modern Technology That Protects People
Car frame design is only one piece of the safety puzzle these days.
Modern vehicles use a layered approach to reducing crash severity, injury risk, and fatalities.
Seatbelts, airbags, electronic stability control – these technologies work alongside the car frame to keep passengers safe.
But Automatic Emergency Braking is a game changer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced that all new passenger vehicles will be required to come equipped with AEB and pedestrian detection by September 2029.
Automatic braking systems alone could save at least 360 lives and prevent another 24,000 injuries every year.
AEB works with a vehicle’s frame to help prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. But if they do happen, it can make sure crumple zones do their job.
How does it do this? By using sensors to detect an imminent collision and applying the brakes automatically.
It’s all connected.
And many of today’s safety technologies are designed to work together to minimize the chances of getting into an accident, and protect passengers if they do.
Implications for Pedestrian Accident Safety
Injuries to pedestrians continue to plague cities across America.
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that 7,148 pedestrians were killed by drivers in 2024. That’s a slight decrease from 2023 but nearly 20% higher than just eight years ago.
The reason?
Vehicle design. Car frames have come a long way at protecting passengers, but they weren’t designed with pedestrians in mind.
Sure, bigger SUVs and trucks are better for the family if there’s a crash. But they’re also more deadly for pedestrians.
Two reasons why.
First, they’re taller so when they make contact with a person’s body, they’re hitting them in the head and upper-body. Injuries to these areas are far more severe than if they were struck by a smaller vehicle that only hit them in the legs.
Secondly, cars have gotten much safer for passengers but not necessarily for the people they collide with.
These larger passenger vehicles are helping drive up pedestrian accident injuries.
Things are starting to change…
Cars are slowly being designed with pedestrian safety in mind. Hood structures are being designed to absorb energy on impact. Active hoods can also lift the bonnet ever so slightly when a crash is detected to create a buffer zone between the engine and a pedestrian.
It’s a start.
Here’s What You Should Remember
Car frames used to be designed without humans in mind. Then they were only designed with the people inside them considered. Now manufacturers are starting to design vehicles with everyone in mind.
Car crashes aren’t always going to be 100% preventable. But they can be made much less severe.
Here’s the key takeaways from this guide:
- Old cars transferred all that crash energy into the passenger cabin.
- Crumple zones help absorb energy and reduce the forces acting on occupants.
- Safety cells are now made of ultra-rigid steel to keep passengers inside a “safe room” during collisions.
- Car frames are only one aspect of modern vehicle safety features, inside and out.
- Car frames are starting to be designed with pedestrian safety in mind.
As vehicle technology, materials science, and safety engineering continue to evolve the road will only get safer.